1. Why and How to Use Developmental Word Study

2. Sequence Students took a Primary Spelling Inventory to determine their word study level. Students were placed into word study groups. Word study groups meet daily. (Monday's meeting always takes about 10-15 minutes longer.) *Students spend 20-30 minutes daily in word study.

3. Daily Assignments: In Class Day 1: Students receive 20-25 words for the week. Students cut, sort, read, and write words. Day 2: sort words and explain how they sorted Day 3: blind word sort (Students write down headers and a partner calls out their words to them. The student must decide which column the word goes into and how to spell the word without looking. Day 4: word hunt (Students write down header words then look for words that follow their spelling patterns and write them down. Use a book that is at their instructional level.)

4. Word Study Homework Monday: Sort words and read, complete word sort chart in Word Study notebook. Make chart, with header cards. Write words in the chart that match the sort. Tuesday: Sort words, read them to someone. Explain how and why you sorted your words. Wednesday: Sort and read words to someone. Complete a blind word sort. Directions for blind word sort: Make a word sort chart in your word study notebook; label the chart with the patterns of your sort. Mix up your words and have someone call the words out to you. You write each word in the column of your word sort chart that matches the pattern of the word. Thursday: Sort and read your words to someone. Make a word sort chart in your word study notebook. Label the chart with the patterns of your sort. Look for words that match your pattern in books or magazines. Write the in the column of your chart that matches the pattern of the word. These have to be different words than the ones you are studying for the week.

5. Action Based Research Findings *The researcher chose words from the first week of this research project; ten studied words and five unstudied words. The students had these words the week of September 21st. The graph shows the results of this assessment. *All names are pseudo names.